In November 2017, the European Commission adopted a legislative proposal to apply key provisions of the 2009 Gas Directive to gas pipelines between the European Union (EU) and third countries. The proposal would apply EU internal gas market rules up to the border of Union jurisdiction, and Member States would need to cooperate with third countries to ensure full compliance with EU rules. The ITRE committee adopted a report in March 2018 together with a decision to enter into inter-institutional negotiations before first reading. The Council has not yet reached a position but continues to discuss the proposal at working party level.

This legislative proposal is seen by many observers as part of a broader response by the EU to the Gazprom-led Nord Stream 2 project. The Commission has publicly expressed its opposition to Nord Stream 2 and has asked the Council for a mandate to negotiate an agreement with Russia. A 2016 European Parliament resolution on natural gas expressed strong criticism of Nord Stream 2.

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